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| Sunday, 22 June 2003 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Woman cop who reached the top by LAKMAL WELABADA After a long and tremendous service to the nation, the first woman Senior Superintendent of Police of Sri Lanka, Premila Diwakara made her last salute to the police flag on December 8 last year.
She retired at the age of 60 and was on extension for three years rendering her duty to the maximum capacity as the Director of the Women and Children Bureau of Sri Lanka. The Sunday Observer interviewed Sri Lanka's first woman SSP at her residence at Kirullapone where she was relaxing with her family after a hectic and challenging period in the police for 43 years. "I was born in a village called Madurawala in the Horana area. First I had my primary education in the village school, and then entered Sripali College, Horana which was a private school at that time with an English medium," reminisced Premila. "We were trained at the Police Training School at Kalutara for six months in 1958. There were 13 girls in our batch and ours was the fifth batch of WPCs in Sri Lanka. The tough training taught us everything that a male police constable normally learns during his training. There was no difference. It really helped us later in life when working with male colleagues shoulder to shoulder at raids, public relations, law and order, traffic, admin work and decision making," she said. Premila with her efficiency, clean personal record and the number of years of dedicated service rose in her career step by step. She became a Sergeant in 1971. Sub Inspector in 1971; Inspector in 1984; Chief Inspector in 1986; Assistant Superintendent of Police in 1988; Superintendent of Police in 1994 and Senior Superintendent of Police in 1999. All these ranks from Sub Inspector onwards were marked in history as Premila was the first woman in the Sri Lanka Police to achieve them. And it was the result of her fighting for equal status for women in the police service. Soon after the training Premila was posted to the Harbour Police. She had also worked at the Colombo traffic, department, Kollupitiya Police station and the CID - Criminal Record Division. Premila was a great athlete and a keen player of netball, volleyball and basketball. She had won the best all round sports woman trophy in the Police, continuously, for a long time. She even had represented many international level sports events and won many bronze, Silver and gold medals. After working in Colombo at Police Field Force Headquarters for sometime, the woman SSP was sent on compulsory service to Jaffna in 1996. "It was a crucial time in the N-E war with the launch of 'Riviresa 2'. It was the time even the men were reluctant to go. I was asked to go to Jaffna or to retire. Though my family was dead against it, I accepted the challenge and went to Jaffna. There I was in-charge of two batches of 650 trainee boys in the police Training School at Kankesanthurai. Though at first it was really dreadful, gradually I grew accustomed to the sound of explosions of landmines, grenades and gunshots which surrounded the place. I stayed there for seven months. And it was the most dangerous and difficult period I had ever experienced," she recollected. Immediately after serving in the war area, Premila was posted as the Director Personal at the Sri Lanka Reserve Police where she got the opportunity along with her superiors, to form the Women and Children Bureau. "It was initiated by Mrs. Srimani Athulathmudali with the intention of rendering a better service to the women and children who easily become victimised by society. The Women and Children Bureau is a centre where they can reveal the injustice done to them without feeling embarrassed, and expect justice," said Premila. Premila had handled hundreds of cases of sexual abuse and violence against women and children, incest cases and children in domestic service, street children, pronographical publications, domestic violence and children's mental conditions due to the separation of parents etc. "We have a crew with a special training at the bureau. In addition we have special Women Police Units in 34 Police headquarters divisions islandwide. People with complaints can either go to the nearest Women Police Unit or to the Women and Children Bureau at Castle Street, Colombo 8 (in front of Castle Maternity Hospital), or write or inform over the hot line-662662 either revealing oneself or anonymously. Every complaint is highly valued and accepted. It is immediately put on to the area police station, and a full report requested within 2-3 days time. Action is taken after that without delay," explained Premila. Today while enjoying a serene life, Premila still continues with her social service work which she has been involved in many ways since serving in the police. "I value the support of my husband given to me throughout. Without his encouragement I wouldn't have had come so far in my career. And I should thank all my colleagues and superiors from whom I had the help and motivation from the day I joined the force until my retirement," she said. |
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